Transit latch for phonograph



Sept. 13, 1966 H. ZARM 3,272,512

TRANSIT LATCH FOR PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept. 9, 1965 Fig? HORST ZARM IN VENTOR.

.522, f. AGENT United States Patent 3,272,512 TRANSIT LATCH FOR PHONOGRAPH Horst Zarm, Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany, assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 486,111 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 10, 1964, P 35,038 3 Claims. (Cl. 274-1) The invention relates to a transit latch for phonographs and the like in which a turntable is normally suspended in a resilient manner but during transit is to be locked against movement.

It is essential that a transit latch meet three different conditions. First, it must be possible to lock the mounting plate of the turntable for transport purposes so that it rigidly engages the phonograph stand. Second, the transit latch must provide for the operating position in which the turntable mounting plate is suspended on the phonograph stand in a resilient manner, while, however, the latch must be constructed so that inadvertent removal of the phono apparatus from the stand is impossible. Finally, it must be possible also to remove the phono apparatus entirely from the stand, for example, for repair purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a transit latch having the three features and advantages noted above and which is simple, economic and reliable. In order that the invention may readily be carried into eifect, one embodiment of a transport safety device according to the invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a partial view in cross section of a phonograph mounting plate, supporting plate and transit latch according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the mounting plate at the point where the safety device is arranged.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the mounting plate 1 of the phonograph supports the turntable 2 in known manner. The mounting plate is normally resiliently supported on base member or stand 15 and engages the wooden supporting plate via conical spiral springs 3. A hollow pivot 4 is provided in the mounting plate beneath the turntable 2. 'The pivot 4 is provided with a constriction as shown. In this pivot 4 a socket-head cap screw 5 is suspended which has a spherical or convex portion 6 on the lower side of the head. A locking lever 7, a two-armed lever, is provided on the lower end of the screw 5 and a disc 8 prevents the said locking lever from being removed from the screw 5. The mounting plate 1 is provided with one fixed guide 11 which serves as an abutment edge for the locking lever 7 and a further guide 12 consists of a threaded pin 12, shown in FIG. 2. One arm of the two-armed lever 7 is located between the guide 11 and the pin 12. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the operating position is shown in which the mounting plate 1 is arranged on the stand 1-5 in a resilient manner. However, the locking bolt 7 prevents inadvertant removal of plate 1 and associated reproducing mechanism (not shown) from stand 15 since the right hand end of the lever 7 .will engage the stand 1 5. Since the guide 11 and the pin 12 are of substantially equal length, rotation of the locking lever is prevented. The freely suspended com- 3,272,512 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 bination is safeguarded against noise in the case of accidental shocks by a rubber cap 10 which is slid over the hollow pivot 4. The apparatus plate 1 etc., can only be removed from the stand 15 by removing the pin 12, or unscrewing it to a sufficient extent and by anti-clockwise rotation of the screw 5 the locking lever 7 is rotated through an angle of approximately whereupon the right arm (in FIG. 2) abuts against guide 11. Now the latch is unlocked i.e. lever 7 is clear of stand 15 and the plate 1 can be removed by lifting.

For assembling after lowering lever 7 through the opening in the stand 15 the screw 5 is turned to the right or after an audible abutment of the locking bolt 7 against the guide 11 is heard. The guide pin 12 is inserted then and to guarantee the correct distance of the locking bolt 7 firom the supporting plate 15, the screw 5 is now rotated counter-clockwise until the locking lever 7 abuts against the disc 8. For transport purposes the screw 5, starting from the position shown in FIG. 1, is turned to the right until tightened. The left arm of the locking lever 7 now engages a rib 13 of the phonograph apparatus on the mounting plate 1. The other arm of the lever 7 engages the supporting plate 15. Since the screw 5 can perform swinging movements to a limited extent, automatic compensation is made for differences in the thickness of the wood of the stand 15. The springs 3 are compressed and the apparatus is rigidly secured to the :stand 15 with the interposition of rubber-pads 14 on plate 1 to prevent scratching the plate 15.

What is claimed is:

1. A transit latch for phonographs comprising the combination of a turntable mounting plate resiliently supported on a stand member; said latch comprising a locking lever, means movably suspending said lever below said mounting plate for moving said lever toward and away from said mounting plate, said locking lever having coextensive arms, one of said arms engaging said stand member when said lever is moved toward said mounting plate for locking said mounting plate against movement, and guide means on said mounting plate for normally straddling the other arm of said lever, said guide means being removable from said straddling position whereby said lever is angularly movable relative to said mounting plate for removal of said mounting plate from said stand member.

2. A transit latch for phonographs according to claim 1 wherein said means for movably suspending said lever comprises a threaded bolt, said lever having a threaded bore for receiving said bolt; said guide means comprising a fixed guide fixedly attached to said mounting plate and a threaded pin received in a threaded bore in said mounting plate for extending in spaced parallel relation with said fixed guide whereby said fixed guide and pin straddle one arm of said lever.

3. A transit latch for phonographs according to claim 2 wherein said bolt has a curved head engaging said mounting plate for rocking support of said lever.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1958 Great Britain. 8/1962 Great Britain. 

1. A TRANSIT LATCH FOR PHONOGRAPHS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A TURNTABLE MOUNTING PLATE RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED ON A STAND MEMBER; SAID LATCH COMPRISING A LOCKING LEVER, MEANS MOVABLY SUSPENDING SAID LEVER BELOW SAID MOUNTING PLATE FOR MOVING SAIDLEVER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID MOUNTING PLATE, SAID LOCKER LEVER HAVING COEXTENSIVE ARMS, ONE OF SAID ARMS ENGAGING SAID STAND MEMBER WHEN SAID LEVER IS MOVED TOWARD SAID MOUNTING PLATE FOR LOCKING SAID MOUNTING PLATE AGAINST MOVEMENT, AND GUIDE MEANS ON SAID MOUNTING PLATE FOR NORMALLY STRADDLING THE OTHER ARM OF SAID LEVER, SAID GUIDE MEANS BEING REMOVABLE FROM SAID STRADDLING POSITION WHEREBY SAID LEVER IS ANGULARLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE FOR REMOVAL OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE FROM SAID STAND MEMBER. 